Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair

Leonel Medellin.

Abstract

Driver distraction has been a major concern in highway safety. Driver distraction is related to crashes and crash rate varies with age. Driving experience obviously increases with age. The purpose of this study is to determine the relation between driver experience and distraction. The study measures the distraction levels of various drivers and assesses the variation in distraction based on experience and also gender.;Distraction was defined as looking away from the center of the roadway for more than 2 seconds. Factors like distraction duration, percent time spent looking at the center of roadway and number of glances away from the center were considered in the analysis. The distraction factors were measured using a faceLAB eye tracking system. A statistical analysis was carried to test the significance of the variation. No significant statistical difference was observed in the percent time spent at the center of roadway and the number of glances away from the center based on driver experience and gender. A statistically significant difference was observed in the number of glances made by each group of drivers. Experienced drivers made more glances away from the center compared to less experienced drivers and the number was higher for female drivers than male drivers.;The analysis leads to conclusion that though the distraction level does not vary by experience, more experienced drivers exhibit better scanning of the roadway environment. No difference was observed in the distraction between male and female drivers. However, female drivers exhibited better scanning patterns than male drivers in the absence of additional distracting factors.

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